1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for use with intravenous therapy devices and, more particularly, to an apparatus for holding and covering a catheter tube implanted within the body of an individual.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Surgically implanted intravenous therapy devices such as central venous catheters, are often used for prolonged treatment of blood disorders and cancer by providing permanent internal tubing received within the blood distribution system proximate the heart of a patient for the administering of medication and other substances as well as for periodic blood testing. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the catheter may comprise a flexible silicone tube 12 having a tip which is placed in a large vein near the heart and brought under the skin along the chest wall to leave the body at an exit site 14. The external tubing of the tube 12 may split into individual external tubes 16 and 18, often called xe2x80x9ccentral lines,xe2x80x9d at a joint 20. A clamping device 22 may be provided to cooperate with the external tubes 16 and 18 to prevent the flow of fluid into or out of the tube 12. Caps 24 and 26 are provided at the free ends of the tubes 16 and 18 which allow for the insertion of liquid medications or the withdrawal of blood.
Typically, the external tubes 16 and 18 of the implanted catheter 10 are taped to the body of the patient to prevent displacement and dislodgement of the catheter 10. To use the caps 24 and 26 of the catheter 10, it is therefore necessary to remove the tape 27 securing the tubes 16 and 18 to the body. Such removal and reapplying of the tape 27 is often discomforting and irritating to the patient. Additionally, the appearance of the taped external tubes 16 and 18 on the body often presents an unsightly and mentally disturbing appearance in many patients, particularly children.
In apparent recognition of the undesirability of taping the catheter 10 to the body of the patient, attempts have been made to design catheter covers or protection devices which eliminate the necessity of taping the external tubes 16 and 18 to the body of the patient. Examples of such prior art catheter protection devices are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,666,432, 5,048,122 and 5,403,285. However, all of the aforementioned prior art catheter protection devices still require some means of securing the device to the body of the patient. Such means of securing the device to the body include belts wrapped around the chest of the patient and specially designed garments designed to hold the catheter tubes 16 and 18. Such devices are often irritating to the patient as providing an additional article which must be attached to the body. Additionally, such body supported devices may provide a hazard where a portion of the device may be caught on external surfaces.
Accordingly, there is a need for a catheter cover which is supported independently of the body of the patient and does not require the use of securing devices to attach the cover to the patient.
The present invention provides a catheter cover which is adapted to securely engage external tubing of an implanted catheter without requiring additional securing devices for attaching the cover to the body of the patient.
The catheter cover of the present invention includes first and second panels each having an inner surface, an outer surface and a peripheral edge, which is formed to define a profile which is of a pleasing appearance to children. The first and second panels are preferably formed from a lightweight, soft fabric which is machine washable and dryable. The inner surfaces of the first and second panels may be defined by an interface material. The first and second panels are secured together with their inner surfaces facing towards each other to define a pocket. More particularly, a connector extends along a substantial portion of the peripheral edges of the first and second panels for securing the panels in an overlapping relationship. The peripheral edge preferably comprises opposing side edges connecting a bottom edge to a top open edge, which has an arc of approximately 100xc2x0, as measured from a center point of the panels, between first and second ends of the connector.
A releasable securing device, preferably a hook and loop fastener, extends substantially along the length of the top edge for releasably securing the external tubing of the catheter while a free end of the external tubing is received within the pocket. The releasable securing device extends substantially around the outer surface of the external tubing in frictional engagement therewith, such that the cover is self-supporting on the catheter. As such, no external fastening means are needed to secure the cover to the body of the patient.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a comfortable and lightweight catheter cover which eliminates the need for external patient securing devices.
It is another object of the invention to provide a pleasant, cheerful and aesthetically pleasing catheter cover.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a catheter cover which is inexpensive to produce and easy to maintain.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide such a catheter cover which may be worn by children with implanted catheters.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a catheter cover which may be used with a wide variety of different sizes and designs of catheters.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.